


Buy Me A Coffee

by going_slightly_mads (Sanashiya)



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Both are helpless at flirting, Bucky's a bit of a stalker, Collectif Noname February 2017 Coffee Shop Challenge, Fluff, Love at First Sight, M/M, Oblivious Steve, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 16:43:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10745727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanashiya/pseuds/going_slightly_mads
Summary: Bucky works at Café Plum, where strangers can buy online coffees to just about anyone. When a Greek god named Steve Rogers shows up one day and then disappears before even giving him his phone number, Bucky has only one solution: buy him a coffee online to get him to come back.





	Buy Me A Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! Some short notes before we begin.
> 
> 1) I'm not a native English speaker. Sorry if it sounds weird, and feel free to point out any mistakes!
> 
> 2) I chose "Café Plum" because of Bucky's plums, of course, and then, hilariously, I realized that there WAS a real Café Plum in the town next to mine. So I got greatly inspired by it. If you're curious what it looks like, type "café plum Lautrec" on google images and you'll get a glimpse. It's a really nice place.
> 
> 3) I don't know if the whole "online coffee" concept exists in the States. I know it doesn't where I live, which is why Bucky's the one to come up with the idea. If it's really common, well... sorry for that.
> 
> 4) I looooove Coffee Shop AUs. This is my try at it!
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Café Plum was a rather special establishment.

Bucky had been working there for years, he'd seen the shop try new concepts, which sometimes worked, and sometimes didn't. Among the most successful, some had become permanent fixtures of the place, such as the café-bookshop, where customers were free to savor their drink while reading a book taken from one of the many shelves that lined the brick walls of their three rooms.

The "artistic exhibition" feature was also very popular: every two weeks, a young artist's works were being framed on the wall, and interested customers had the possibility of being put in touch with the creator for a possible purchase. And finally, during the concerts that were held every Friday and Saturday evenings in the third room, always performed by local bands in the making, the shop was so packed it was almost impossible to circulate.

But what really boosted the notoriety of the Café Plum was the last concept they had launched to date, which was quickly beginning to become something of a sensation: online coffees. Bucky was the one who had come up with the idea. He'd proposed it to the owner, Bruce, who'd found it interesting and had decided to try it out. Some adjustments had been necessary, but thanks to the cooperation of Bruce, Bucky and their co-worker Natasha, problems were quickly smoothed out, and not even six months after the launch, the concept called "Buy Me A Coffee" ended up constituting 50% of the shop's turnover (a constantly increasing rate).

Bucky, who was rather proud of his idea, liked nothing more than to explain to newcomers what it was all about - and that day, icing on the cake, said newcomer looked like a fucking Greek god.

Bucky spotted him as soon as he entered the cafe. Blonde hair, blue eyes, the stature of an athlete, a waaay too tight white t-shirt. He looked like a movie star – or a superhero. When the stranger came up to the counter, Bucky took great care in relegating the temporary staff in the background so he could deal with him in person, and when the stranger looked at him, he flashed him his most ravishing smile. With a bit of luck, Blondie was playing for the same team. (But better not to be too hopeful. The chances that such a gorgeous guy was single were really slim, which wasn't to say he wouldn't try his luck anyway.)

"Morning," Bucky said in a playful voice. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, uh... Someone bought me a coffee on your website, but it's my first time, and I don't really get it...?"

"It's really simple", Bucky assured him. "If someone offered you a coffee through our website, you must have received an email with a code."

Usually, at that point, most of the customers were grabbing their phone to retrieve said email. The man, though, dug into his pocket and  drew out a torn piece of paper where a code was hastily scrawled in lead pencil. It was lovely.

"Yup. Here it is…"

"Perfect. I have to check the code, please wait a second... Can I have your name?"

"Steve Rogers."

Bucky nodded - he absolutely did not need the name, vouchers weren't nominative, but _Steve_ didn't need to know that, did he.

"There", Bucky said. "Your code is worth five dollars, which means you have access to the entire range of drinks below that price. Pastries aren't included, just drinks."

"That's all ?" Steve asked, startled. "I don't have anything else to do?"

"You just have to choose your drink," Bucky smiled. "Please note that if you choose a three dollars drink, the remaining two dollars will not be refunded."

"Fair enough," Steve muttered, his eyes fixed on the menu. "Thanks for the explanations."

"Pleasure", Bucky grinned.

Steve froze, staring at him, and then Bucky saw his eyes slide to his badge, pinned to his black tee-shirt.

Oh. Interested, then.

"Bucky," he said.

"I'm sorry?" Steve looked up at him, startled.

"It's written _James Barnes_ , but everyone calls me Bucky."

"Oh. Right."

When he saw the blush spread around his neck, Bucky realized that Steve was embarrassed to have been caught in the act, and kindly decided to change the subject while Steve still pondered over what to choose.

"Did you know our shop before?"

"Not at all," Steve admitted with a somewhat guilty smile. "Someone on the internet told me about it. I'm an artist, I have a website where I post my illustrations, and a girl who loved one of my drawings wanted to buy me a coffee on your website when she knew that I was living in Brooklyn. Got me curious. Decided to come and check it out."

"Hope you're not regretting it," Bucky said in a charming tone.

The red patches were back on Steve's neck. Bucky was secretly exulting.

"No. It's a nice place," Steve said sincerely. "Can we read the books while we drink?"

"That's the whole point."

"What if I spill my coffee on it?"

"You will have to pay a compensation, so I _would_ advise you to try and avoid it, if at all possible."

"But it happens?"

"Not as much as you'd expect," Bucky shrugged. "People take greater care when they're surrounded by books, I guess. But there's always the occasional accident, of course."

"Guess there is. I'll have the Caramel Macchiato and then I'll stop monopolizing you."

Bucky would have liked to tell him that he was very welcome to monopolize him as long as he wanted, but the line behind Steve was growing by the second, and customers were already getting impatient.

"Thanks for coming," Bucky said while preparing the macchiato at the speed of light. "Here. Feel free to come back anytime."

Last charming smile – Steve looked down, his neck reddening, then smiled back at him, and went to sit somewhere in the second or third room - out of Bucky's field of vision, anyway.

Well. At least Bucky got to talk to him a little, even if just for small talk.

Forty minutes later, Steve was back at the counter, and he smiled at Bucky who – thank God – had nothing better to do at the moment than to give him his undivided attention.

"It was really good. Thanks, Bucky."

"You're welcome, Steve. See you next time."

Steve nodded, looking adorably embarrassed, and left the cafe without giving his number to Bucky.

Pity.

 

.

 

When he got home, that night, Bucky realized he was still thinking about Steve. Handsome customers weren't all that unusual, and even though Bucky wouldn't have minded spending a bit of quality time with some of them, he usually forgot about them as soon as he passed the coffee doors when his shift ended.

Steve was different.

After taking a shower, out of curiosity, Bucky settled down at his computer and typed "Steve Rogers artist" on his search engine. God bless the Internet, his curiosity was immediately satisfied. He ended up browsing the website of one Steven G. Rogers, independent artist in Brooklyn.

Bucky hadn't really known what to expect. Pretending you were an artist was easy enough, but that didn't necessarily mean you had real talent. But when his eyes fell on Steve's drawings gallery, he was absolutely stunned. It was nothing short of incredible. Steve was a gifted illustrator who mastered, as far Bucky as could see, both digital and traditional drawing, but also oil painting, charcoal, watercolor, and even comic style drawings. He had a lot of comments about his works, fans expressing their admiration, and Bucky could understand why. If Steve came back to the cafe, Bucky would probably offer to hang his paintings on their walls, as soon as there was an opening (the next two months were already fully booked).

As it turned out, Steve was active on other social media, such as Flickr, Tumblr, Twitter. When Bucky discovered his Instagram account, where Steve was only ever posting photos of his art and sometimes of his food, he almost choked when he saw the last photo that had been posted – it was the caramel macchiato cup he'd served him that day, along with the caption : "Someone offered me an online coffee at the Café Plum in Brooklyn. Whoever you are, thank you so much! Excellent drink, lovely place, and very friendly staff."

Bucky felt himself blushing – and then he cursed himself for not even thinking about writing his phone number on Steve's receipt when he had the opportunity. He was so, so bad at this.

That said, there was a very easy way to try and make Steve come back.

He just had to buy him a coffee online.

The solution seemed so obvious Bucky didn't even think twice about it. He skimmed all the social networks to find Steve's email address, and when he found it, he entered it on the Café Plum's website for another five dollars coupon. Once the transaction was paid and the mail sent, Bucky went to Tumblr and left an anonymous message on Steve's ask box.

 

> _Hi Steve,_
> 
> _I am a longtime fan of your talent, and seeing as you enjoyed your online coffee today, I wanted to buy you one too, as a thank you for sharing your wonderful art with us._

 

Of course, it was far from being the real reason (unless "longtime fan" meant "about half an hour ago fan"), but Steve didn't need to know that. Bucky obviously didn't write his name, and sent the message before going to bed, wondering if Steve would come back soon – or if he would even come back at all.

The following day, Bucky was working from 9 to 6, but Steve didn't show up. However, when Bucky got back from the coffee shop after his shift and went online to see if there was anything new, Steve had posted a reply to his anonymous message on Tumblr.

 

>  
> 
> _Thank you! It's very thoughtful! I hope I'll have time to go and enjoy it soon. Thanks again!_

 

The coupon had an expiry period of one year, and Bucky was beginning to wonder if it was such a great idea, all things considered. In the course of the following week, however, another thought made him freeze. What if Steve came while he wasn't working ? It wasn't all that unlikely. He had Tuesdays and Thursday mornings off.

When he asked Natasha if she'd seen a blond god at the café during his day off, she raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think so. Why?"

"Oh, nothing."

He didn't really want to explain to her that he'd bought a coffee online for a customer just so that he could have a chance to see him again. It was a bit pathetic.

When the weekend came and Steve still hadn't appeared, Bucky sighed and finally admitted that his awesome genius plan would probably lead to nothing whatsoever.

Better move on.

 

.

 

Bucky didn't really manage to move on, but it didn't matter: Steve Rogers came to the café one Wednesday morning, exactly eleven days after his first visit (not that Bucky had been counting, of course not). When Bucky saw him enter the shop, he thought he was going to fall to the ground – and at that moment, he fully realized how much it all mattered to him, finally.

The shop was half empty, and Steve hesitated only a moment before heading straight for Bucky instead of Natasha. (She shot Bucky a curious look, one eyebrow raised, and Bucky completely ignored her.)

"Good morning, Bucky," Steve said.

"Hi, Steve," Bucky smiled at him. "Another online coffee?"

Steve stared at him for a moment, like he wasn't expecting Bucky to remember his name, and then he smiled, while Bucky tried to pretend he didn't _perfectly_ know Steve was there because an _anonymous_ (yeah, right) benefactor had offered him a coffee.

"Yes. I'm quite popular, it seems," Steve joked.

"Bet you are."

Steve's neck suddenly reddened, and Bucky watched him, trying hard to conceal his delight.

"Can I have your code?" He asked mildly.

"S-Sure," Steve stammered.

Once again, the code was scrawled on a piece of paper, and Bucky took it to input it in the computer. It was his own code. The computer even displayed the e-mail address (not his real one, he wasn't completely stupid) he had used to make his transaction. He grinned at Steve.

"Five dollars voucher," he said. "What can I get you, then?"

"Uh... Any suggestions?"

"Depends on what you like, but I can tell you which are the most popular drinks with our customers."

"Which one do _you_ prefer?" Steve asked.

Bucky stared at him, surprised. It wasn't a question he was often asked.

"Well... I do love our white chocolate macchiato…"

"I'll have that, then."

"Alright." While he was preparing the drink, Bucky added, "You told me you were an artist, right?"

As if he didn't perfectly know he was.

"I am," Steve replied, sounding intrigued. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you have a business card? I'd like to take a look at your work."

"Oh!"

As Bucky put the final touches to his drink, Steve rummaged through the pockets of his jacket, his neck bright red again. He took out a business card and handed it to him. His phone number wasn't written on it, to Bucky's great despair, and he didn't write it down either. Bucky took the card anyway and slipped it into the back pocket of his jeans with a smile.

"Thanks. You know, your art could be exhibited here."

"I was gonna ask you about that. The paintings on the walls have changed since last time."

"Yeah. For the past week, we've been exhibiting a certain John Matthews. When you came last time, it was Sarah Fincher. Every two weeks, we're presenting a different artist, to show their work to our customers. They can buy if they're interested. We put them in touch with the artist."

"That's a fantastic idea," said Steve, amazed.

He barely noticed that Bucky was handing him his white chocolate macchiato, and slipped into his pocket the receipt Bucky gave him without even glancing at it – and, as such, without noticing Bucky's phone number written on it. Bucky tried not to bang his head against the counter repeatedly.

At least he hadn't thrown it away, he had put it in his pocket. That was something.

"How can I submit my work for an exhibition?" Steve continued, still focused on the paintings. "I'm guessing it won't be for free."

"There is a small fee, yes, but it's about twenty dollars," Bucky replied, trying to hide his frustration at his failed try. "All you have to do is to apply, and Bruce, our boss, decides then whether or not he wants to accept it. If your application is rejected, you won't be asked to pay the fee, of course."

"That's great," said Steve. "Where can I apply?"

"You can fill out a form here."

Bucky pointed to a pile of forms waiting on the side of the counter, and Steve took one, smiling.

"I love this place!" He looked almost dazed.

Despite his disappointment one moment ago, Bucky could not help grinning broadly at him. "Glad to hear that."

This time, as there weren't many customers, Steve stayed at the counter, and they chatted for almost an hour, before Steve eventually left, form in his hand.

"I'll take a look at this. Thanks, Bucky!"

"No biggie. See you next time, Steve."

This time Steve didn't blush, and he left the cafe after one last wave of his hand. All in all, Bucky thought after he left, his chances were slightly higher than the last time. At least, Steve had the form to fill out for the exhibition, and he had his number on the receipt. Now Bucky had to hope Steve wouldn't put his pants in the washing machine without emptying the pockets first.

 

.

 

But days came and went, and Steve didn't call him, and Bucky had no choice but to offer him another coffee on the website to try and get him to come. The day after his transaction, Steve showed up.

"Another online coffee," he chuckled. "Looks like it's becoming a real trend."

Bucky merely smiled without replying. No wonder he was under that impression, when all the coffee offers came from the same guy. Not that Steve would ever find out – Bucky was very careful not to use the same email address twice.

"I'm not complaining, though" Steve added, looking greedily at his white chocolate macchiato.

Bucky, for the moment, had a bit of a problem. If he gave him his phone number once again and it turned out Steve had found the first one on the receipt and purposely _decided_ not to call him, he'd seem desperate and pathetic (not that he wasn't. But). On the other hand, if Steve _had_ indeed found it in his pocket, he could have let him know and told him that he wasn't interested.

He _looked_ interested, though. That was the weirdest part. They had easy conversations, and Steve always looked like he was listening intently to whatever the hell Bucky was saying, and he frequently blushed.

It was only after he left, that day, that Bucky was struck by a sudden idea. What if Steve thought that they were just well on their way to being friends? Bucky thought there was something between them, something that spelled mutual attraction, but Steve was obviously completely blind to his attempts at flirting; as a matter of fact, it reminded Bucky of a time when he hadn't yet learned his lesson and still chatted up every cute straight guy he met with the undying optimism that sexuality was just a label, a small detail that they would be able to put aside in the face of true love.

Ha. God, but he was dumb.

So maybe Steve's constant blushing was because he was shy, and nothing more.

Bucky sighed. That thought didn't help.

Still, never one to give up, he once again bought Steve a coffee, still anonymously, of course, and waited for him to turn up.

Except he didn't.

The first week, Bucky didn't worry too much. He had to give him time, and besides, it wasn't all that unusual. The second week, he began to wonder what was taking him so long. The third week, he gave in and did a bit of stalking on the Internet via his Instagram and Twitter accounts: in three weeks, Steve had posted two pictures of completed works and retweeted a post from such activist in favor of such rights. Not dying in a gutter, then, but nothing new to learn either.

A month, a month and a week, a month and a half went by, and Steve didn't come. Bucky bought him four more coffees, just in case. That made a grand total of five coffees Steve had yet to claim. In vain.

Suddenly, Bucky felt panic creep up his spine: despite all his different email addresses, could it be that Steve had noticed that he was the one behind his regular offers of coffee? Did he think it was creepy? Too awkward? (In his defense, Bucky _had_ tried the normal way. He couldn't be blamed for Steve's pathological obliviousness.)

He decided that maybe it was time to give up and stop pining about the guy. Still, he could not help but keep an eye on Steve's social media, which didn't tell him anything new, apart from how lonely he was.

 

.

 

Steve showed up two months after his last visit, when Bucky had just about decided to stop stalking him on the Internet once and for all (and was more or less successful with that).

 So when he saw him pushing the door of the cafe, it felt like he was struck by lightning.

"Steve!" he almost shouted.

Then he remembered that he was in the middle of serving a client, and apologized copiously while getting her drink ready. She smiled at him knowingly, and Bucky did his best not to blush.

When she walked away, Steve appeared behind her, like sun coming out behind a cloud.

"Hi, Bucky," he said a bit shyly.

Bucky tried very hard to pretend that Steve coming back wasn't something of exceptional importance to him. Which couldn't be further away from the truth; in fact, there now, just by looking at him, his hands were almost shaking, and his heart was beating like crazy.

Wow, wow, stop. When did Steve Rogers start to mean so much to him? And first and foremost, was a guy who disappeared for two whole months without even updating his Twitter to give news (who would _do_ that??) really worth the trouble?

Then Steve grinned at him, and Bucky had the answer to his question. Yes. Steve was worth it. Tenfold.

"Long time no see," Bucky said, aiming for casual, but (he noted with great regret) sounding instead a bit accusing.

"Yes, sorry," said Steve, lowering his eyes. "I had to leave on a business trip, it took longer than expected."

"Oh."

That was all ? Just that ? A simple business trip? Bucky didn't even know what to say. So it wasn't because Steve noticed how creepy he was that he hadn't come back, it wasn't because he found him a bit too obsessive and awkward, he was just on _a trip_?

Right.

Bucky was an complete idiot.

He wanted to bang his head against the counter.

"Coffee ?" He asked instead.

"White chocolate macchiato, please," Steve smiled. "Guess you'll be seeing me a lot during the next few weeks. Got four coffee offers on the Internet while I was away."

"Five," Bucky corrected absently.

Then.

He realized.

His mistake.

Feeling like a doe caught between the headlights of a car, time running in slow motion, he looked up at Steve. Oh, but he was getting it, this time. Steve stared at him, eyes and mouth wide open.

Great. Just great.

"What? " Steve said after a long moment.

"What?" Bucky said, very determined to play dumb till the end.

"Was it you who… Did you…"

" _No_."

"But…"

"Here, Steve! Your macchiato. Enjoy."

Bucky abruptly pushed the cup into his hands, and Steve took it, looking absolutely stunned. What was he thinking at that moment? Was he disgusted to discover that Bucky was just an awful stalker? Or was he finally realizing that Bucky was expecting something from him that he could not _or_ did not want to give?

Either way, he took his coffee and left without a word, and this time Bucky didn't stop himself and slammed his head hard against the counter.

"Shit," he sighed.

(Natasha patted his shoulder with a compassionate look, which didn't help in the least.)

 

.

 

Steve didn't come back to the cafe the next day, nor the day after.

On the third day, Bucky noticed that he had received an email from Café Plum. He frowned.

 

 

> _Buy Me A Coffee!_
> 
> _Steve Rogers (steve_rogers@gmail.com) has just offered you a coffee!_
> 
> _Code: XTHSJP_
> 
> _Voucher worth: $ 5_
> 
> _Cumulative with other discounts!_
> 
> _Enjoy your coffee, and see you soon at Café Plum!_

Bucky blinked incredulously.

What.   
Had.  
Just.  
Happened.

Did Steve Rogers really buy him a coffee?

Wow.

Bucky struggled to get dressed that morning. He spilled his own coffee on his trousers while having breakfast, and had to change his clothes, swearing like a sailor. He was the one supposed to open the shop this morning and he was late, and okay, Natasha had the keys, but she would be mad at him, and that was something Bucky generally wanted to avoid at all cost. But when he left his apartment, he was already running twenty minutes late.

When he reached the street, the blinds were raised. Natasha had opened the shop by herself, obviously.

And yet, Steve was waiting outside the door.

Bucky froze for a moment, wondering what to do, but before he could decide anything (running away seemed like an interesting option), Steve looked up at him.

No choice, then. Bucky tentatively moved forward, until Steve was just in front of him.

"Hi, Steve," he said bashfully.

"Hi, Bucky," Steve smiled. "Are you working this morning?"

Bucky hadn't really known what to expect (insults, maybe? No, right, Steve _had_ bought him a coffee...), but the small talk still caught him off guard.

"Uh... As you can see."

"Will Natasha be angry if you start an hour later?"

"Why?" Bucky asked, dumbfounded.

"So we can drink our coffees together."

Bucky blinked, stunned. It took him a while to remember how to talk.

"You wanna... have coffee... with me?"

"I wouldn't have _bought_ you one if I didn't want to." _Duh_ , he didn't add, but Bucky heard it all the same. He opened his mouth and closed it again.

"You don't... you're not... disgusted at me?"

"Disgusted?" He looked honestly surprised. Huh.

"I'm a bad, bad stalker who sent you like a million coffees to get you to come back here."

This time, Steve's blush spread not only to his neck, but also his collarbone, visible behind the collar of his t-shirt, and his ears.

"I thought that was why you left without saying anything, the other day" Bucky added in a quiet voice.

"I... I was just... surprised." Steve stammered. "I wasn't expecting it".

So he _had_ been completely oblivious, then. Bucky didn't know if his flirting techniques were in dire need of improvement or if Steve Rogers was actually blind - probably both.

"But... I thought about it... And... And then I thought..."

Amazed, Bucky watched him struggle to find the words, before kindly deciding to put an end to his suffering. (Their. Mutual. Suffering.)

"Steve. Do you want to have coffee with me?"

"Yes," said Steve, relieved.

Bucky grinned. When Steve grinned back at him, he thought that subtlety had not really worked out with them so far, and added, almost on a whim, "Can I kiss you?"

Steve once again looked like he had a terrible sunburn on the neck and ears, but after three long seconds he nodded, and Bucky came closer.

"Sorry I wasn't more straightforward," he murmured against his lips.

"Sorry about being an oblivious asshole," Steve stammered.

"Sorry I stalked you."

"Sorry I stole your e-mail address from Natasha."

Bucky grinned at him, totally amazed, before deciding that there was no good enough reason to spend another second away from Steve Rogers'  lips, and he kissed him.

And honestly, it was well worth spending some forty dollars on online coffees for him.

    

.oOo.

 

Epilogue

 

.oOo.

 

It was six months after Steve and Bucky got together that Steve finally got to exhibit his work at the Café Plum. Success was instantaneous, and Bucky, who had been allowed to say that the gifted artist was his boyfriend, couldn't help boasting to the customers.

Steve sold four paintings in two weeks.

He used his earnings to offer five coffees to Bucky, just for the irony.

Outwardly, Bucky kept complaining that Steve wouldn't drop it.

(Inwardly, he fell a little more in love with him.)

 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are life and comments are love! ♥


End file.
